May 20, 2018
ND-UM NCAA Box 2 
| ND-UK NCAA Box 2
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The rivalry was alive and well for the second time in the weekend on Sunday between the University of Notre Dame softball team and Michigan. With two runners on and two outs, Alexis Holloway forced a called strike three for the Irish to defeat the Wolverines 2-1 and eliminate Michigan from the NCAA Lexington Regional at John Cropp Stadium.
Though No. 16 national seed Kentucky ultimately won the regional with an 8-0 victory in six innings in the nightcap, Notre Dame (34-23) accomplished something that no other opponent has managed to do against No. 17 Michigan (44-13).
Since NCAA Super Regional competition began in 2005, the Irish are the first opponent to ever eliminate the Wolverines prior to the regional final round. Michigan, who has missed only three NCAA Super Regionals in the last 14 years, had previously finished as regional runner-up in 2011 in Ann Arbor (to Kentucky) and 2017 in Seattle (to Washington).
In fact, dating back 1992, the first of 25 seasons in which Michigan has qualified for the NCAA Championship, the Wolverines had only failed to reach the final game(s) of a regional site on one occasion. The 1999 squad was swept out of an eight-team regional in Ann Arbor, losing a 1-0 decision to Notre Dame on May 21, 1999.
Following a Michigan winning streak of 14 games in the series from 2000-16, Notre Dame has controlled the recent run of play between the teams in the results column. The Irish have won three straight against the Wolverines, along with four of the last six meetings between the clubs over the past two seasons. Notre Dame team had not defeated Michigan three consecutive times since winning three games in a row against the Wolverines on March 30, 1994 (2-1 and 5-1) and Feb. 24, 1995 (4-3 in nine innings).
Notre Dame closed its 2018 season with six victories over national top-25 foes, taking three games from Michigan (February 17-18), one from Florida State (April 29) and two from Minnesota (Feb. 17-18). The Irish, celebrating the 30th varsity season of the Notre Dame program, also reached a regional final for the 11th time in 17 seasons under head coach Deanna Gumpf.
How It Happened
Michigan looked to bounce back from a slow start in Friday’s opening game of the tournament by placing two runners aboard in the top of the first inning, by way of an infield single and a full-count walk. Alexis Holloway (22-15) worked out of trouble by forcing a ground ball to third base to leave both runners stranded.
Irish leadoff hitter Ali Wester reached by way of a Michigan throwing error in the bottom of the first inning and took second base on the play, and Notre Dame looked to replicate its success from game one of the weekend in which it scored in the opening inning. A ground ball out moved Wester to third before a strikeout ended the inning.
Michigan was retired in order against the Notre Dame defense in the top of the second. Three straight fly ball outs to Wester in left field, including a fence rob on a potential home run with two outs to end the inning, fired up the Irish and ended the Wolverine ups.
Even a two-out single up the middle for Michigan did little to slow the Notre Dame momentum in the top of the third fame. Another fly ball to Wester in left kept the game deadlocked in a scoreless tie.
Both teams jockeyed for position to no avail until the top of the fifth inning, when Holloway and the Notre Dame defense retired Michigan in order once more. A groundout to Melissa Rochford at third base and two hot shots toward Morgan Reed at shortstop made quick work of the Wolverines.
Holloway looked to help her own cause in the bottom of the fifth, rocketing a two-out double down the line in left to place a Notre Dame runner in scoring position. A testy chopper to second base was handled by Michigan and erased any further danger in the inning.
Michigan was the first to break through in the top of the sixth inning. A one-out walk and single put runners safely at second and third, where a sacrifice fly to center gave the Wolverines a 1-0 lead. A nice play by Katie Marino on an ensuing ground ball to second base left one runner on.
Notre Dame immediately responded in the bottom of the sixth. Sweet doubled to center field, and Reed followed with a single that brought her to second base and pushed Sweet to third. Cait Brooks connected on a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Sweet to tag up, tying the game at 1-1. One pitch later, Rochford slashed an RBI single into right center that sent Reed in motion from second to score and gave the Irish the 2-1 advantage.
A Michigan leadoff double in the top of the seventh inning threatened to cut into the deficit, and a one-out walk placed a pair of Wolverines aboard. A foul ball out to Reed behind the bag at third base notched the inning’s second out. With the tying run still standing at second base, Holloway froze a Michigan hitter on a 1-2 offering to end the game.